1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a seat track for an automotive vehicle seat, and more particularly, to a flexible support assembly for supporting a lead screw within the seat track.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive vehicles include seat assemblies for supporting occupants above an interior floor of the vehicle. The seat assembly typically includes a generally horizontal seat cushion and a generally upright seat back coupled to the seat cushion for selective adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between a plurality of reclined positions. The seat assembly also typically includes a track assembly coupled between the seat cushion and the floor of the vehicle to allow linear forward and rearward movement of the seat cushion along the floor of the vehicle.
The track assembly typically includes a lower track fixedly secured to the floor of the vehicle and an upper track slidably coupled to the lower track and fixedly secured to a bottom portion of the seat cushion. It is well known in the seating art to provide a powered track assembly having a lead screw mechanism driven by an electric motor for moving the upper track relative to the lower track. However, conventional powered track assemblies are known to be susceptible to binding, noise or otherwise erratic operation of the lead screw mechanism due to generally lateral or vertical loading or pre-loading of the upper track relative to the lower track. Such loading or pre-loading can be caused by dimensional variations in the floor of the vehicle, shifting of occupant weight on the seat assembly, or other vehicle accelerations or road inputs associated with normal driving conditions.
Thus, it remains desirable to provide a powered seat track assembly having a lead screw mechanism or drive assembly that provides smooth and quiet adjustment of the upper track relative to the lower track under lateral or vertical loading or pre-loading conditions associated with normal driving conditions.